


Colors on Your Skin

by seasonofthegeek



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Body Paint, F/M, Fluff, Sexual Tension, cute crushing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-11-14 04:46:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11200719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasonofthegeek/pseuds/seasonofthegeek
Summary: Chloe agrees to play canvas when Nathaniel wants to give body painting a shot.This a continuation of my drabble for the Chlonath Week tumblr prompt: art.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [powerdragonmoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/powerdragonmoon/gifts).



> This story is for Powerdragonmoon because they are the bestest for putting Chlonath Week together! <3

Chloe held her breath as the paintbrush swept up the back of her knee, leaving a thick, cool line along her skin in its wake. The sensation proved to be too much and she shifted away.

“Chloe!”

“Sorry,” she huffed. “It was tickling me.”

Nathaniel sighed from his position kneeling behind her. “Are you going to be able to do this? Rose offered if–”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” she snapped, tilting her head back. ”Now keep painting. I don’t have all day.”

“Do you have somewhere to be? I told you this would take a few hours. Body art is a pretty intensive–” 

“Oh, for crying out loud, it’s a figure of speech. I’m here as long as you need me, I guess.”

“If you’re sure…” The teasing swipe of the paintbrush on the back of her knee began again and Chloe tried to steel herself against it. 

“You’re shaking a little,” Nathaniel commented, the paintbrush strokes never relenting.

“Aren’t you done with that area yet?” she snapped.

“I can come back to it if you need a break.” Nathaniel shifted behind her. “And you’re sure you don’t mind me painting on these shorts?”

“I bought them for your stupid little project so you may as well.”

Nathaniel braced a hand on the back of her left thigh and Chloe felt the tickling bristles touch where her shorts cut off and gave way to skin. He had moved in so close that she could feel his breath, warm and steady, on the sensitive skin.

“Thank you for doing this,” he said conversationally as if his face and hands weren’t completely too close to an area he had no business being so close to. “A project like this will look great in my portfolio. The school I’m looking at is really into using different mediums as a canvas.”

His hand slid in between her legs to wrap around her inner thigh and he continued the brushing strokes, oblivious to the torture he was putting her through. “To be honest, I’m surprised you offered. You’re the last person I thought would be okay with getting covered in paint.”

Swallowing thickly, Chloe nodded, her eyes burning a hole into the mirror in front of her. “I-I like your art.”

Nathaniel paused, catching her gaze in the reflection. “Really?”

Chloe looked at his face and then at his long paint-splattered fingers protruding from between her legs to wrap around the front of one thigh as the other held a paintbrush out to the side. “Damn it, you’re so hot,” she muttered, closing her eyes.

His cheeks flushed. “W-what?”

She cleared her throat and glared. “Are you going to keep wasting time or are you going to paint?”

“Right, uh…yeah, sorry,” Nathaniel quickly replied, ducking behind her legs to hide his burning face. 

Chloe felt him faltering behind her. She shifted her legs restlessly.

“Are your legs getting tired?”

“A little,” she admitted, hoping he would move away and give her a chance to breathe.

He sat back on his heels. “You can lay down on your stomach if you want. I should have suggested that to begin with.” He shook his head. “Sorry, this is the first time I’ve done one of these.”

Nathaniel stood up and offered her his hand. 

“You’ve got paint all over it,” Chloe grimaced.

He cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh,” she mumbled, taking his hand. His skin was warm against hers and she tried to stamp down the stupid little butterflies that had taken up fluttering in her stomach.

“You can just lay down right here,” he motioned to the stretch of canvas she had been standing on. Nathaniel looked around wildly for a moment and then dropped her hand, darting over to the counter. He grabbed his over shirt and waved it. “It’s not a pillow, but at least your head won’t be flat on the ground.”

He helped her to her knees. “Be careful not to go all the way back!” Nathaniel grabbed her hands and gently pulled her forward. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to drop you, promise.” She watched him with big eyes as he lowered her to the canvas, his eyes on her painted legs. “Is that okay?” he asked, pillowing his shirt under her head.

Chloe cleared her throat. “It depends on your definition of okay, but I suppose it will do.”

Nathaniel nodded and moved behind her once more. Chloe strained to watch him in the mirror but the angle was too painful. She sighed and shifted her head against the makeshift pillow. The scent of lemon verbena soap filled her nose. Why had she ever agreed to do this? Oh, that’s right. She had offered to help him because she was harboring a massive drop-dead secret crush on the stupid ginger.

She could suddenly sense him moving over her. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to look backwards. She could barely make him out crouching above her legs when she felt the paintbrush begin its torturous pattern again. She slightly lifted the leg he wasn’t painting to alleviate some of the pressure.

Nathaniel made a choked sound. “Uh, Chloe, c-could you watch your leg please?”

She strained to look back again and saw the heel of her lifted foot was a breath away from his crotch. Chloe slammed her foot down to the floor, her cheeks burning red. 

Nathaniel winced. “Did that hurt? You hit the floor really hard.”

Chloe blinked back tears and buried her face in the shirt. 

“Hey.” Nathaniel stood and moved to her head, crouching down again. “Seriously, Chloe, are you okay?” 

“I don’t think I can do this,” she mumbled into the shirt.

“Oh.” Nathaniel fell back on his butt, bringing his knees up. “That’s…that’s okay. Like I said, Rose offered. If she can come in tomorrow, I shouldn’t fall too far behind.”

“Any blonde will do, I guess,” Chloe said miserably.

Nathaniel frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

She got up on her knees, shaking her head. “Nothing. I shouldn’t have come here.”

“If…if you think I’m into Rose, I’m not. I mean, even if I was, which again I am not, she’s with Juleka, so…”

Chloe sat back on her heels, feeling the wet paint squelch against her skin. “Why would I care who you are into?”

“Oh, uh, I guess you wouldn’t.”

“I mean, since you’re bringing it up, you may as well tell me who you’re into,” she replied as if she couldn’t care less.

“I wouldn’t say I’m bringing it up—“

“It’s probably still Marinette, I guess. Everyone just loves Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Nathaniel’s cheeks turned red. “No, uh, not Marinette. That was more of a silly crush years ago anyway. Marinette’s sweet but I don’t really think of her like that.”

“Oh.”

“There is someone though,” he said quietly. “Someone at school. I’ve been trying to build up the courage to…to tell her before graduation.”

Chloe frowned. “Well, I hope you’re very happy together.” She pushed herself up and stood, looking down at him. “Is there somewhere I can get this crap off of me?”

“Bathroom, right through that door.” He pointed to the far end of the room and his shoulders slumped as Chloe disappeared into the bathroom.

________________________________________

 

Chloe scrubbed at the back of her knees and calves, trying to convince herself she wouldn’t be thinking of the way his hands felt on her skin later. The paint moved across her skin in stubborn streaks and she huffed, finally giving up. Maybe her sugar scrub could get rid of the last traces of the stupid tomato when she got home.

She grabbed a towel off the bar and paused, bringing it up to her nose. It smelled of lemon verbena just like his shirt. Did he bathe in the stuff? Curiosity getting the better of her, Chloe peeked behind the shower curtain. Sure enough, a large bottle of the scented soap sat on the built in shelf. Glancing behind her as if Nathaniel was going to burst into the bathroom at any moment, she reached inside the shower and grabbed the bottle. She popped the top open and took a big sniff.

“Damn it,” she muttered, quickly replacing the cap and sliding the bottle back into its rightful place. She scrubbed the towel against her legs and looked in the mirror. Her cheeks were still red and splatters of paint had made their way to her front but she was going straight home anyway. Hopefully no one of consequence would see her.

She opened the bathroom door and immediately honed in on Nathaniel, sitting at the counter, hunched over something. 

“I’m going to get out of here,” she announced, stooping to pick up her bag.

“Oh, uh, sure, okay.” Nathaniel stood and ripped a sheet of paper out of his sketchbook. “This is for you…if you even want it. It was my mock up of what the finished piece would look like.”

Chloe took the sheet of paper and felt her breath catch. Nathaniel had drawn her tall and beautiful, her blonde hair done up in a twisting bun at the top of her head. Yellow, gold, and black paint covered her body in a bee-like pattern. The thumbnail in the corner of the page showed beautiful wings done on her back in translucent blues and purples. 

“You were really going to make me look like this?”

“That was the plan,” he said, ducking his head. “Do you like it?”

“Can I have another chance?”

He looked up at her. “What?”

“Will you try on me again tomorrow?”

“You…you really want to give it another shot?”

She studied the drawing. “It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever seen. And Rose would never be able to pull these colors off like I can.”

“I made a different one for Rose.”

“Is it better than this one?”

“Well, no…”

“Then it’s settled, Red. I’ll come back tomorrow and you can turn me into…hmmm, Queen Bee,” she sniffed.

“Queen Bee, huh?” he smiled.

“I think it fits.” She raised an eyebrow in challenge.

“It’s perfect.”

________________________________________

 

“We’re making a stop,” Chloe announced as she slid into the backseat of the town car.

“Of course, Miss Bourgeois, where do you need to go?”

“I’m a mess so I’ll be staying in the car, but you will be going into the Galleries Lafayette Haussmann and picking me up the largest bottle you can find of Lemon Verbena body wash. Also lotion and…you’ll be buying anything in that fragrance actually.”


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re here,” Nathaniel smiled, letting the door open wider. 

“I said I would be.” Chloe pushed past him, looking around. “Are your parents never home?”

“It’s just me and my mom and she works most of the time,” he explained, closing the door and following her further into the living room.

“And she’s fine with you turning this whole place into a big mess?”

Nathaniel chuckled. “She’s very supportive of my art, yeah.”

“Hmmm.”

“Do you, uh…you want something to drink before we get started?”

“I’m fine.” Chloe lifted her shirt above her head.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Nathaniel sputtered.

She looked back at him over her bare shoulder. “Your design is going to look much better on my skin than on a shirt.”

“Yeah, but—“

“I’m keeping on my bra. It’s not like I’m baring it all for you. Don’t be so uptight.”

Nathaniel gulped and nodded. “Right, right, okay.” His eyes darted around as if he was trying to look at anything but Chloe. 

She quirked an eyebrow, “How do you want me?” 

“What?”

Chloe tilted her head towards the set up of paints and brushes from the day before.

“Right,” he repeated, shaking his head. “Okay, uh, I thought you could start by laying down today so you don’t get so tired.” He gestured to the stretch of canvas on the floor. There was a pillow and a sheet that hadn’t been there the day before. “Hopefully this will be a little more comfortable. The canvas can get itchy after a while.”

“Thanks, that’s very…thoughtful.”

Nathaniel’s cheeks tinged pink and he quickly turned to flutter around his paints. “You can lay down on your front again. It’s easier to warm up on the back since it won’t be featured quite as prominently.”

Chloe fought to control her own blush at seeing his reaction. She moved down to the sheet and stretched out, settling her head on the pillow so she could watch him from the side. His movements had smoothed since his initial turn and now he comfortably squeezed paint onto a pallet with ease. She liked seeing him in his element. Chloe wasn’t sure how many people actually got a glimpse of this Nathaniel.

The damn pillow smelled like Lemon Verbena. She had drowned herself in the scent the night before and this morning but it hit her afresh like she had never smelled anything so nice. She wondered if this was the pillow from his bed. Had he been resting his head on it just hours before? Why did that make her stomach flutter? Ugh, she hated this.

He kneeled behind her. “This may be a bit cool,” he warned, stroking the paintbrush along the inside of her right knee.

She held her breath. She was finding out the hard way that having someone touch the back of her knees was quite the turn on. Did he really have to keep starting right there? She would never make it through the day at this point. “Tell me about your family,” she demanded, grasping at something to take her mind off the teasingly gentle paint strokes.

She felt the brush pause against her skin before resuming its path. “My mom…she’s pretty great. She works at a shop uptown. The owner there lets her run the place practically. My dad…well, he left when I was ten. A total dickhead. Alcoholic, abusive…” The paintbrush paused again and Chloe sensed Nathaniel shifting behind her. “Believe me, it’s no loss that he’s gone but my mom has to work a lot to keep us afloat.”

Nathaniel dipped the brush into the gold paint and returned to his living canvas. “I’ve been able to take some freelance jobs to help her with bills, but most people don’t want to hire an eighteen year old. That’s why I’m hoping to get into this art school. If I can be seen as a credible artist, I might be able to help out a lot more.”

“Couldn’t you just get another kind of job?”

“I could. I probably should actually, but Mom keeps shutting it down. She says she works so much because she wants me to pursue this. I can’t help but feel bad about it sometimes though.” 

Chloe felt the brush move in a twirling pattern and she closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation.

“What about you?” Nathaniel asked. “I’ve seen your dad but don’t know anything about your mom.”

“She died.”

“Oh.”

Chloe propped herself up on her elbows and looked back at him as much as she could without moving her lower body. “It was a long time ago. Sometimes I’m not sure I even remember what she actually looked like. I have pictures, but I don’t have a clear memory of her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It isn’t your fault.”

“Well, yeah, I know, but—“

“I’ve never understood why people feel the need to apologize for something they didn’t have anything to do with. People do it all the time and it’s infuriating.” She laid her head back down on the pillow.

“I don’t think it is so much people apologizing because they think they have something to do with it. I think it’s more about sympathy.”

“I don’t need or want anyone’s pity,” Chloe sniffed.

“Sympathy isn’t the same as pity.” Nathaniel braced a hand against her left calf as he continued to paint. “But I understand. Sometimes when people know things about you, it feels like they look at you differently.”

“Like with your dad?” she asked quietly.

“It’s not something I like to talk about. I honestly don’t know why I even said anything. Usually I just stop at ‘he left’.”

“It’s okay if you do need to talk about it though.”

Nathaniel was quiet as he moved down her leg, grasping her ankle to shift it slightly for a better angle. Chloe breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the paintbrush touch down mid-calf in a long stroke. Maybe he was finally done with the back of her knee.

“I’ve never talked about it before.”

“Ever?”

“I tried with Mom a couple of times, but it always upset her. She feels responsible…it was just a bad situation,” he said in a tone that closed the subject. “Do you want me to put on some music?”

Chloe frowned. “You can if you want.”

Nathaniel pushed himself up and disappeared from her view. Within a few moments, soft piano sounds began to fill the room. Chloe felt him back down at her legs again and the paintbrush cut a new path along her skin. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the rise and fall of the music.

_________________________________________________

 

“Chloe? Chloe, you need to wake up.”

Chloe blinked slowly to find herself looking into two wide turquoise eyes. 

“Hi,” Nathaniel smiled.

“Did I fall asleep?” she asked dumbly.

“You’ve been out for a couple of hours.”

Her eyes sharpened. “A couple of hours?!”

“I was able to finish your whole back,” he said proudly. “I made some sandwiches for lunch if you’re hungry.”

“Can I get up?”

“I’m going to help you. I need you to be careful though, okay?”

She nodded. Now that she was waking up a bit more she could feel the layers of paint heavy on her skin. 

Nathaniel moved behind her and crouched above her calves with a foot on each side of her legs. “I’m going to lift you back and up. It’s going to be awkward but I think it should keep us from rubbing the paint.”

“Okay,” she breathed.

He gripped her upper arms and pulled. Chloe willed herself to be as light as possible as he lifted her back. She expected him to let her rest on her knees but he kept pulling until she was awkwardly finding her footing and finally standing on her own. He slowly loosened his fingers and let his hands fall away.

“Thanks,” Chloe said, voice faint.

“Uh, yeah, no…no problem.” He quickly moved away from her and to the counter. “I hope you like turkey and Swiss. We didn’t have much to choose from.”

“That’s fine.” She stiffly walked over to the counter.

“You can’t really sit down,” he apologized. “Thank you again so much for doing this. After we eat, I can show you how the wings turned out before we start on the front.”

She nodded, feeling a little disoriented. “Water?”

“Yeah!” Nathaniel spun around and grabbed a bottle out of the fridge, handing it over to her. Chloe took it in a shaky hand. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m…I feel…” She blinked a few times. Everything seemed very far away. 

Nathaniel steadied her as she swayed on her feet. 

“I don’t know why I feel so weird.”

“Maybe you should eat something. Here.” He reached back and picked up the plate. Nathaniel watched her as she took a bite of the sandwich. She swallowed without looking at him and took another bite. “Better?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“Good,” he nodded, moving only a short distance away. He kept watching for any sign that she may not be okay.

_________________________________________________

 

“What do you think?”

Chloe studied the reflection of her painted back in the mirror. “I think that art school is going to be begging you to come there. Nathaniel, this is…this is amazing.”

“You really think so?”

“I can’t believe this is my back. I mean, I know I have a beautiful back naturally, but this…” 

Nathaniel flushed with pleasure. “Do you want to get started on the front? I was thinking I would start at your feet and work my way up.”

It had been easy to forget she was standing in front of him in tiny shorts and a bra when she was covered in paint and not feeling well. Suddenly the thought of him on his knees in front of her was a bit too much.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” she blurted.

“Oh, uh, okay.” He pointed it out again and she hurried over. “Uh, try to be careful,” he winced.

She nodded hastily and slammed the door shut.

“Breath, Bourgeois, breathe,” she whispered, gripping the sides of the sink as she stared at her reflection. Her cheeks were a bright red. “This is so stupid. What was the point of masturbating this morning if it didn’t build up a freaking tolerance to him?!” 

She turned and pushed the shower curtain aside, grabbing the bottle of body wash. She popped the cap and inhaled deeply. “Okay, I can do this,” she sighed, putting the bottle back.

She slipped out of the bathroom and marched over to Nathaniel. “Let’s get this show on the road. I don’t have all day.”

Nathaniel blinked wide eyes, lips parting in confusion. “O-okay. Let’s get started. Just stand right there in the middle.”

He set down his palette and brushes and got down on his knees. He looked up at her, cheeks darkening to match his hair. 

“Do you need something?” she snipped, voice a little breathless.

“I’m going to…I’ll start on your feet, okay?” He picked up a brush and tapped it in the black paint. Chloe watched him glide it along the top of her foot. His movements were stiff and uneven, glaringly opposite of the way he had been painting the back of her legs.

“What’s wrong?”

He looked up, startled. “What?”

“You’re being all twitchy. You weren’t like that earlier. What’s wrong?”

Nathaniel blinked a couple of times. “Nothing…there’s nothing wrong.”

“Then stop being twitchy,” she demanded.

He nodded rapidly and looked back down at her feet. Chloe tried to keep from moving her legs too much as she glanced around the small apartment. She hadn’t noticed the walls before. Canvases of all sizes covered them from ceiling to floor in patches. Some depicted rich landscapes and others were portraits. One in the far left corner across from her was some big mess of yellow and black and red and purple. “Did you paint all of these?”

“Yeah. Some of them suck but Mom puts up everything. I’d like to sneak a few in the garbage though.” He had seemingly found his groove again and was layering the paint in broad gentle strokes along her skin. 

“What’s the deal with the blotchy one in the corner?”

Nathaniel glanced behind him and stiffened. “That’s a garbage one.”

“Why?”

“It just is.” He turned back to his paints and created a deep purple wave up her right leg.

“Can I have it?”

He stopped painting again. “Why would you want it?”

She shrugged. “I guess there’s something about it I like. You could consider it payment for me wasting another day here.”

Nathaniel frowned and continued painting. Chloe shook her leg a little to get his attention. “Tell me I can have it.”

“I could paint you something else.”

“You’re seriously not going to just give me the painting you said you would throw in the garbage?”

“Fine, if you really want it that badly, you can have it when you leave.”

“Fine.” She spent a few minutes studying the other paintings. “You’ve painted some people from school.”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you ever paint me?”

“Who said I haven’t?” he mumbled. 

“I don’t see me up there anywhere.”

“Can you spread your legs a little further for me?”

Chloe felt something clench lower in her body and she squeezed her eyes shut in frustration, moving her legs further apart. “Does anybody know you’re a weirdo who keeps paintings of his classmates hanging up in his living room?”

“Everyone already thinks I’m weird. I doubt that knowledge would make much of a difference.”

“What makes you say that?”

“What?”

“That everyone thinks you’re weird.”

Nathaniel looked up at her with an odd expression on his face. “You. You told me that.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe frowned down at Nathaniel. “I never said you were weird.”

He set his paintbrush on the plate and looked up at her, pursing his lips.

“What?”

“You’ve called me out for being weird hundreds of times,” he said calmly. “When we were thirteen, you convinced a third of the class to call me Nathanfreak for several weeks. When we were nine, you told everyone I smelled like garbage. I probably did because my dad refused to pay the water bill and I could only bathe at my aunt’s house once a week or so for a few months, but still.”

Chloe felt her stomach drop to her toes. “I…”

Nathaniel shook his head and picked up his brush again. “It was a long time ago, Chloe. Kids are mean. That’s all there is to it.” He added a touch of gold to her knee.

“I’m really sorry,” she whispered, looking down at him.

He shrugged and kept painting.

She bounced her leg and he glanced up at her. “Nathaniel, I mean it. If I could go back…”

“We can’t change the past; we can only live in the present,” he said as if he was reciting a mantra. “I really don’t want to talk about it, Chloe. I’m fine…really.”

Chloe couldn’t shake the sick feeling in her stomach but she nodded and he went back to painting. “Can we talk about me being a bad person?”

“I don’t think you’re a bad person.”

“How?”

“How?” he echoed, not looking up as he layered a stripe of black over the gold.

“I’ve been awful to you. I’ve been awful to so many people.”

“You’re not being awful now,” he reasoned. “You’ve actually been a level above awful the last year or so.”

Chloe gave a bitter chuckle. “Well, that’s something, I guess.”

“Do you feel bad about it?”

“I do now.”

“You didn’t before?” He cocked an eyebrow but stayed focused on his painting.

“I think I’m starting to see things differently.”

“Thank God for small miracles,” he grinned.

_________________________________________________

 

“Do you need something to drink before I start on your face and neck?” Nathaniel asked, rotating his shoulder with a grimace.

“Water would be great. Are you okay?”

“Just getting a little sore. Stay right there. I’ll bring it over.”

Chloe watched him cross the room to the fridge and pull out a bottle. She had somehow survived it when his brushstrokes had reached her inner thighs, his cheeks flaming red as he turned the music up, something loud and thumping. She had managed not to fidget too much as he covered her black bra in shades of yellow and gold with hints of a deep purple scattered throughout. At one point the brush had slipped past the seam of the bra cup and Chloe thought her knees would buckle, but she had stayed upright, face schooled into an expression of nonchalance as Nathaniel murmured a hasty apology. She was so close. She could make it.

“Be careful not to let any drip please,” he said, handing her the bottle.

“Thanks.” She watched him as he assessed her. As flattered as she wanted to be, somehow Chloe doubted he was seeing anything but a canvas at the moment. “How am I looking?”

“Good, I think. I’m fairly happy with it anyway. We’ll see if I don’t mess it all up right here at the end.”

“Are you saying my face could ruin it all?” she asked, eyebrow quirked.

He laughed. “Fishing for compliments?”

Chloe blinked in surprise. “No.”

“I’m ready to get started again if you are.” Nathaniel palmed his brush. “If you’ll hold your head back for me.” Chloe obeyed and he stepped in close. She could feel his breath warm against the skin of her neck. She closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her breathing even.

“You smell good,” he murmured as the wet slide of paint touched her skin. 

Chloe felt her breath hitch. “I, uh…new body wash.”

Nathaniel’s hand slid around the side of her neck opposite of where he was painting, his thumb resting against her jaw. Chloe strained to see him but she could only blink up at the ceiling in her current position. His thumb rubbed back and forth a few times as he painted and Chloe swallowed thickly.

“Chloe?”

“Hmm?”

“I think…thanks for doing this.”

“You’re welcome,” she said faintly. 

“You can look down now.” His hand dropped away from her jaw and Chloe immediately regretted the loss. She stared at him. He had a swipe of gold over one eyebrow and splatters of purple on his nose. A chunky paintbrush stood at attention at the back of his head, red hair twisted around it in a bun. He looked absolutely gorgeous. How had she never truly seen him before?

“Close your eyes,” he instructed. 

She did and felt his fingers ghost over her cheek. The paint followed the sensation. Chloe could lean forward and close the distance between them. It wouldn’t take much at all. She could feel his breath against her lips. She wondered what they looked like from the outside. Was she visibly trembling or was it all on the inside? Touching her face like this shouldn’t have felt more intimate than the other places he had painted today but somehow it did. 

“Can you part your lips for me?”

Chloe let out a shuddering breath and opened her mouth slightly. She felt Nathaniel’s thumb again, putting the slightest bit of pressure on her bottom lip to drop it lower. 

“This may not taste great,” he warned. “I’m going to use a lipstick base but I’ll have to add highlights with paint.” 

A bubble of panic fought its way up. “Kiss him! Kiss him now before it’s too late!” the bubble screamed inside Chloe’s mind. She felt the lipstick slide across her lips smoothly. “What…what shade is it?” she stammered, trying to keep calm.

“Oh.” Nathaniel sounded surprised and then laughed. “Chat Noir. I didn’t even realize…that’s funny. I just picked up the shade I thought would look best on you…I mean, for this.”

“It’s black?”

“You can open your eyes for a second if you want to see.”

Chloe blinked and looked at the tube in Nathaniel’s hand. “Ah, I’ve never worn something that dark before.”

“It looks really good on you.”

She smiled. “It does?”

Nathaniel’s eyes tracked the motion of her lips lifting at the corners and nodded.

“I bet it would look good on you too.”

“You think so?”

“I could kiss you and we could see,” Chloe offered with a confidence that had seemingly peeked its head up only to run away and hide again. She felt her cheeks warm under their layers of paint.

Nathaniel furrowed his brows and took a step back. “If you don’t mind closing your eyes again, we can keep going.”

Chloe’s stomach dropped for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She nodded and closed her eyes. She wanted to leave. She wanted to go home and hide in her shower and rid herself of every last speck of him. Of course she would smell like him because she had filled her bathroom with every lemon verbena product her chauffer could find the night before. What a dumb thing to do. This whole thing had been an exercise in stupidity. She couldn’t believe she had the audacity to expect anything of him after the way she had apparently treated him. Why would he want to kiss her? Why was he even putting up with her?

She felt sick remembering the message she had sent Sabrina that morning about slumming it with the artist. Why had that been necessary? Even now she was awful to him. Paint slid lightly along her eyelids and she wanted to cry. He was so gentle with his touches and his words. 

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. “You’re frowning.”

“Fine. Are we done?”

“Almost.”

Nathaniel brushed a few stray hairs away from her forehead and added more paint. After a few minutes, Chloe felt him step back. “You can open your eyes now. I just need to fix your hair and we can do the photos.”

He moved behind her and placed a step stool at her back. She looked up at the full-length mirror to see him stand up behind her and lean over, pulling her ponytail up and twisting it around the way he wanted. She let her eyes move to her actual reflection and choked back a gasp.

Her face was contoured to look sharp and angled with shimmering gold. Nathaniel had used black paint around her eyes almost like a mask, the tips ending in sharp wings. Her lips were as black as her mask with a glittering gold overlay. 

“What do you think?”

“I can’t believe this is me.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Chloe nodded. “This can be the new me.”

Nathaniel chuckled. “You might get some odd looks if you stroll into school painted as a bee, Chloe.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Ready to take some pictures so you can finally escape?”

“You make it sound like you’ve held me here against my will.”

“To be honest, I’m a little shocked you’re still here,” he admitted.

“Where do you want me?” she asked, not sure how else to respond.

He pointed to an empty corner. A white sheet had been tacked up on the wall. “It’s not professional but it should do for this.” He posed her and stepped back to take a few shots. “Can you face the wall so I can get some with the wings?”

Chloe turned around and let out a shaky breath. She was close. She was going to make it.

“I’m going to get some close ones of a few different areas now, okay?”

“Okay.”

Nathaniel moved around her, snapping photo after photo, gradually making his way up her body. 

“I don’t know what you want me to do with my face,” she said as he pointed the camera straight on. 

“Didn’t you call this design Queen Bee? How do you think a queen would look if someone was taking her picture?”

Chloe narrowed her eyes and slightly pursed her lips, tilting her chin up. Nathaniel inhaled sharply and pulled his camera back into position. After a few clicks, he pulled the camera down to look at the view screen. “You’re beautiful.”

“You’re a good artist,” she replied quickly, her heart leaping up into her throat.

Nathaniel looked up at her. “No, Chloe, you’re beautiful.” He held up the camera so she could see. “That’s just my paint on top.”

Chloe looked at the fierce Queen Bee in the photos. She gave off pride and strength, and Chloe realized she had never felt more beautiful. “Can…can I have a copy of these…after? I’ll pay for them.”

“You don’t have to…of course. I’ll be sure to make doubles. I can bring them to you at school.”

“Thanks,” she said quietly, looking down at her paint-coated skin.

“I guess you’re ready to get out of here and get all this cleaned off.”

“It does feel pretty heavy.” She looked towards her purse on the counter. “I should probably call my driver.”

He nodded. “Okay, right, it’s getting late. You’ve been here all day.” He turned and sat the camera down on a small table. 

“Will this be hard to get off?” Chloe asked, raising one shoulder to examine it closer.

Nathaniel stepped closer to her and ran his thumb firmly along the paint. It reluctantly smudged a trail down her arm. “It may take a bit of scrubbing, but it shouldn’t be too hard.” The rest of his fingers wrapped around her upper arm as his thumb rubbed at the paint. He watched his own motions as if mesmerized.

Chloe was afraid to move. She was afraid to lose this little bit of contact she would be able to cling to for days to come. She felt his fingers loosen on her arm. “Screw it,” she muttered, pressing forward.


	4. Chapter 4

Chloe felt Nathaniel stiffen as she grabbed the sides of his face. Her lips crashed against his and their teeth knocked against each other and Chloe had decided to retreat and crawl into a hole until graduation when he was suddenly pulling her closer and kissing her back. She blinked her eyes open in surprise. Nathaniel finished the kiss, eyes sliding open slowly.

His lips and nose were smudged with black and gold, making his eyes look almost too bright. “Oh,” he breathed.

Chloe nodded. “Um…so…”

“Yeah…”

They stared at each other for a few moments before Nathaniel was pulling her back to him, cradling her against his chest. She wound her arms around him and felt his shirt riding up in the back. High on the feeling of his lips moving against hers, Chloe dipped her hands under the hem of his shirt, splaying her palms against his bare back. Nathaniel inhaled sharply, his fingertips digging into her hips. They finally broke apart, gasping for air.

“Are you going to—“

“I’d like it if—“

They both laughed nervously.

“Go ahead,” Nathaniel said, gesturing to her.

Chloe bit her lip and grimaced. “I bet I have paint on my teeth now, don’t I?”

He chuckled. “A little bit. I’m sure I do too though.” He beamed at her and Chloe covered her mouth and giggled.

“I was going to say I could kiss you all night but now I feel like I kind of ruined the mood…”

“And I was going to ask if you’re going to call your driver.”

Chloe frowned. “Oh, um…sure…” She turned towards her purse.

“Wait! No!” Nathaniel yelled, turning red. “I meant…I’d like you to stay if you want to.”

She reached over and shoved him. “Say what you mean first next time, you stupid tomato! My heart just stopped beating for a minute.”

“Hey!” he laughed. “I got nervous, okay? You just attacked me with your lips and—“

“I attacked you?!”

He raised his eyebrows. “Are you trying to imply that you didn’t?”

“Well…”

“Good thing you waited at least. We smudged my paint job to hell,” Nathaniel sighed, looking her over. The longer he looked, the redder his cheeks became.

Chloe looked down. Long lines of paint had been dragged along her sides where his fingers had grabbed her and the paint on her chest and stomach was smudged where it had rubbed against him. “So…that’s kind of hot…”

“I think I want to do it again.”

“I think I want you to.”

Nathaniel pulled her back to him but Chloe tilted her head, pressing her lips against his neck. He sighed as she moved her mouth against his skin, licking and nipping at his pulse point. His hips bucked against hers and he pulled away, face turning red. “Sorry,” he mumbled. 

“For getting turned on?” Chloe smirked. “I think that was kind of my goal.”

“So it didn’t bother you?” he asked, ducking his head.

Chloe stepped closer to him again and placed a hand on his hip, pulling him flush to her. “Not at all,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him again.

At that moment, the apartment door squeaked open and Nathaniel pushed himself away, tripping backwards and landing in a sprawl on the floor, face panicked. A short, squat woman with a messy red bun on top of her head stood in the doorway, a tote bag full of groceries on her hip. 

“Mom!” Nathaniel gulped.

“I see the painting’s going well,” the woman said dryly, raising an eyebrow. She walked the bag over to the counter and started to unpack it as Nathaniel got to his feet and went to her.

“Uh, yeah, we, uh, we just got done.” He cleared his throat and grabbed his camera. “See? Didn’t it turn out awesome?”

Chloe stood awkwardly hugging herself and acutely aware she was standing in this woman’s living room in tiny shorts, a bra, and smudged body paint while Nathaniel wore the obvious signs of their previous activities. 

“These look amazing, sweetheart,” Nathaniel’s mom said, taking the camera. “Oh my word, they’re even better than the drawings and that’s saying something.”

Nathaniel smiled tentatively at Chloe. “I had a great model.”

Nathaniel’s mother’s eyes met Chloe’s, assessing her. “Thank you for helping Nath. He’s been working so hard on all of this.”

“It was my pleasure, really.” Chloe’s cheeks burned at her own wording but she pushed on. “Nathaniel’s a wonderful artist.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying for years. A bit messy though,” the woman smirked, giving her son a look. “Maybe you should get cleaned up for dinner. I’m sure Chloe is ready to get home and get cleaned up.”

“Sure, Mom, of course.” Nathaniel met Chloe in the middle of the room, snagging her purse on his way. “I’m just going to walk Chloe out.”

As soon as they were outside, Chloe was fumbling for her phone. “Sorry, I didn’t realize…I need to call me driver. He can be here—“

Nathaniel cut her off with a gentle kiss, framing her face with his hands. Chloe melted into it, letting him walk her back until she was pressed against the wall. “Thank you,” he murmured, pulling back enough to see her face. “You’re so incredible and I’ve wanted to do that all year.”

“Your mom doesn’t like me.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “She doesn’t know you.”

“I’m sure she knows enough,” Chloe grimaced. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to her driver, smudging paint along the screen.

“Hey,” Nathaniel tipped her chin up. “I can see that you’ve changed. The past is the past, right?”

“Is it?” Chloe shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not like it disappears. I saw the look on her face. You’ve told her about me, the not good things.”

He sighed. “I have.”

“Maybe it was stupid to think this could be more than it is.”

He looked up then. “What did you want this to be?”

Chloe swallowed. “Nothing. I…it doesn’t matter. I’m glad I could help you with your portfolio. I really do hope you get into that art school.”

“It feels like you’re telling me goodbye.”

She glanced past him and spied her car in the parking lot below. “My ride’s here. I have to go.” She slid away from the wall and Nathaniel grabbed her arm gently.

“Wait, Chloe—“

“Nath, please don’t.”

His hand dropped and she hurried down the stairs and ducked into the car.  
_______________________________

“Is there something you would rather have to eat?” Jacque asked, glancing at Chloe’s untouched plate.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Perhaps you would rather talk then?” The butler glanced at Mayor Bourgeois blathering away on his cell phone.

Chloe eyed her father and huffed. “I suppose if you were to give me a pedicure, I may be bored enough to talk.”

“Right this way, Miss.”

Within minutes, Chloe sat in her favorite chair, feet soaking in a basin on the floor. “I like a boy.”

“Mmmhmm.” Jacque kneeled in front of her and lifted one of her feet out, propping it on a towel. “And this boy must like you. He’d be a fool not to.”

“He’s not a fool,” she said stiffly.

“What is the problem exactly?”

“I’ve been a bitch to him our whole lives and it’s stupid to think I can make up for that.”

Jacque pursed his lips and began to exfoliate the sole of her foot. “And he has asked you to?”

“Of course not.”

“I see.”

“He thinks the past is the past,” Chloe scoffed. “How ridiculous is that?”

“Isn’t it?”

She frowned. “What?”

“The past. Isn’t it, well, to be frank, Miss, in the past?” He set her foot back in the water and brought the other one up.

“Well, yeah, in theory.”

“I believe in practice as well. Is this young man the reason you have a stock of lemon verbena items in the washroom?”

“No.” Chloe’s cheeks went pink. “Ugh, fine, yes.”

“Mmhmm.”

She flicked her foot up, droplets of water hitting Jacque’s face and jacket. “Don’t you ‘mmhmm’ me, Mister.”

“Apologies, Miss,” he smiled, going back to work on her foot.

“Suppose he is fine with the person I am now. Everyone else still remembers.”

“And their opinion means more than being happy?”

Chloe chewed on her bottom lip.  
_______________________________

Nathaniel stood in front of the bathroom mirror, studying his reflection. He had wiped away most of the paint on his face and hands before dinner, but some smudges remained that would only be gone with a good scrubbing in the shower. He touched two fingers to his lips, watching his cheeks darken. Had he meant for that to happen between them?

He had been delighted when Chloe offered to help. Delighted and suspicious, if he was being honest with himself. After her odd behavior the first day, he was sure it had all been a mistake, but then she came back. She came back and he put paint all over her body. He felt a thrill run down spine. He couldn’t help touching her more than he’d need to. He ran his hands over places before his paintbrush. He’d watched her in those moments she couldn’t see him, eyes greedily taking her in. 

What was tomorrow going to look like? She had left on such a melancholy note. Nathaniel honestly wasn’t sure if he could handle her going back to ignoring him. Not after he had held her in his arms. Not after their lips had been pressed together and he had felt her fingers digging into his hips. No, he couldn’t let that happen. He needed to call in a favor.  
_______________________________

“Oh my goodness, Chloe. Why are you here?! Did you not get my texts?!” Sabrina asked in a rush as Chloe stepped out of her car. 

“Give me some space, Sabrina. What’s got you so worked up anyway?”

Sabrina gulped and pointed a finger to the front of the school. “I demanded it be taken down but no one will listen to me!”

Chloe looked up to see a huge canvas propped up against the front of the building. Queen Bee stood in all her glory, fierce and commanding as she looked down on her kingdom. Chloe felt her breath catch in her throat looking at the larger than life photo.

“I’m going to call my father. Nathaniel can probably be arrested for this,” Sabrina said, pulling out her phone.

“Stop.”

Sabrina blinked up at Chloe. “What?”

“Just…don’t bother him. I’ll take care of it.” She shifted the strap of her messenger bag and strode across the courtyard, head high. Nathaniel stood at the foot of the canvas, expression nervous. “What’s the meaning of this, Kurtzberg?” she barked as she got closer. Multiple sets of eyes turned in their direction.

“I wanted everyone to see how beautiful and strong you are now,” he replied, straightening.

“How the hell did you even get this done?” Chloe strained her neck to see the top of the canvas.

“Adrien owes me, like, a million favors. I pooled them together to get this done express.”

Chloe glanced over at Adrien who was sitting on the steps with Nino. He gave her a hopeful wave and she glared at him. “What could he possibly owe you favors for?”

Nathaniel chuckled. “He’s a big Ladynoir fan. I make doodles for him in class.”

“Why did you do this?”

“I told you. I wanted—“

“Nathaniel.”

He ducked his head. “Last night meant something. I know you felt it.”

Chloe’s cheeks warmed. “Of course it did, but—“

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

“No. Whatever crap reason you’re going to give, I say no.”

She studied his face. “I’m going to be a sucky girlfriend.”

“I know.”

She shoved his chest lightly. “You’re not supposed to agree with me!”

He grinned. “Are we doing this?”

Chloe looked out at the other students blatantly staring at them. “Well, we can’t let them down, I suppose.”

“Like you care about that. Can I kiss you now?”

She smiled, stepping in and wrapping her arms around his waist. “I thought you’d never ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I love Chlonath and hope I did them justice with this little story. <3


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